The evolution of computers is a process that began in the 17th century, with the emergence of the first calculator, and continues to this day. It is always being updated.The history of computers is usually divided into four generations , covering the creation of the first mechanical calculators up to the mass use of personal computers, which are common today.
Evolution of computers
Despite the popularity and importance of personal computers, the first computers had a different purpose: to meet the need to perform complex calculations in less time. They were large calculating machines .
Advances in technology and the discovery of better and smaller materials as components have led computers to take on other functions, such as so-called embedded systems , which are computers with a specific function. Cameras and smart TVs are considered embedded systems.
Or critical systems , which are computers responsible for controlling and warning of risk situations, are the machines present in airplanes, spaceships or nuclear power plants. Until reaching today’s personal computers. See how the evolution was:
First generation
The first generation of computers appeared between the 1940s and the end of the 1950s and consisted of large, heavy machines. They were giant calculators that could perform calculations in about 5 seconds.
First-generation computers used vacuum tubes , unlike earlier calculators that used mechanical or electromechanical elements.
The most famous computer of the first generation was the ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator), from 1943. The ENIAC could perform calculations in 30 seconds that previously took 12 hours. It weighed 30 tons and was created to calculate tactical trajectories during World War II, but it only became operational after the end of the war.
Second generation
The second generation of computers covered the technology used from the late 1950s to 1965. The second generation was responsible for the use of transistors instead of vacuum tubes. It was the use of transistors that caused computers to become smaller in size.
Computers of this generation were up to 100 times smaller than previous ones and consumed less energy. The IBM94, for example, weighed less than 1 ton. The first commercial computer, the IBM 608, from 1957, belongs to the second generation.
In 1960, integrated circuits emerged, combining hundreds of transistors into a single device. Transistors were placed inside silicon wafers, which have good conductivity and are safe. This made it possible to build smaller and faster computers.
Third generation
The third generation lasted from 1965 to 1975. It was responsible for the popularization of integrated circuits and silicon materials , which increased speed and efficiency. It was also the beginning of the use of chips, keyboards and monitors, and computers began to look more like what we know today.
The first microprocessors were also created in the 1970s. The IBM System 360 was the computer that stood out during this period. It was created with commercial objectives and was aimed at companies. It was innovative in its concept of modularity, meaning that purchasing companies could choose a mode of operation according to their business.
Fourth generation
The fourth generation of computers began in 1975 and continues to the present day. It was marked by the popularization of personal computers . Computers and their components became even smaller with the emergence of microcomputers, microprocessors and microchips.
It was also in the fourth generation that the computer giants Apple and Microsoft emerged. The type of graphical interface known today was also built during this period, as was the use of the mouse.
Is there a fifth generation of computers?
Some scholars suggest that a fifth generation has already begun in the process of computer evolution, but this analysis is not a consensus. The fifth generation would feature processors with more cores, greater power, and the search for ways to reduce energy consumption in an attempt to reduce environmental impact
As well as the growth of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which are computers whose operation is based on the laws of quantum physics.
Summary of the evolution of computer element technology:
Mechanical → Electromechanical → Electronic valves → Transistors
History of Computing
Computer scienceWhat is computer science? began in 1642 with the emergence of the first automatic calculator, created by Blaise Pascal . At the time, there was a need for technology that could perform calculations using algorithms.
Before Pascal’s creation, there were other machines and tools capable of performing calculations, one of the most famous (and oldest) being the Abacus, which used stones to do calculations. The word calculus comes from Latin and means stone. However, unlike the previous ones, Pascal’s calculator was automatic.
Over the years, calculators have been able to perform more complex calculations and use more algorithms. The Leibniz Machine , from 1672, was able to perform the four mathematical operations. Its creator, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, was responsible for the modern binary numbering system.
Another important calculator was the Arithmometer , from 1851, which was the first commercially produced. It was considered one of the most reliable calculators of the time.
During the Industrial Revolution in England, a calculator called the Difference Engine or Babbage’s Difference Engine was created . The machine was capable of performing polynomial equations, receiving, processing, storing and displaying data. It is considered one of the pioneering machines for the machine-based industry.It was with the launch of this machine that computing and information technology as we know it today began to take shape. For this reason, Babbage is considered the father of the computer.